


The Princess and the Thief

by Anonymous_Neko



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Romance, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24420235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymous_Neko/pseuds/Anonymous_Neko
Summary: After her father's death. Makoto Niijima has slowly seen corruption creeping its way into the royal court system.Things are not as they should be. But a fated encounter with a burglar may change that.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 15
Kudos: 56





	1. Prolog

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah hi I know that I've been inactive for a couple months due to a lack of inspiration. But it literally just hit me today and now this exists. I promise that I will try my best on this.
> 
> This takes place in a country very much like the old Great Britain but not.  
> It's like that but it's a made up fictional country so not Britain but is stylized after it if that makes sense.

Strong rains pounded on stone paved roads late at night.  
A lone, hooded rider on a brown mare were racing through the flooded streets, the only thing illuminating their path were the small flames of the street lights and the occasional flash of white lightning.  
The fierce rain drowned out the sound of solid hoof-beats on hard ground.

The rider was not bearing good information, the complete opposite in fact. However, it was excruciatingly vital and had to be delivered post haste.

They soldiered on through the downpour and towards the royal castle that towered above all other buildings in the distance.

__________________________

Half an hour later, the rider deposited their horse in the palace stables and rushed inside.

They flipped down their soaked hood to reveal a man who carried a small, golden amulet that depicted a bird with a piece of paper in its beak around his neck.

He ran up to the first guard he saw and began to speak to him with gasping breaths.  
"I need to speak with the eldest princess. Please, it's urgent!"  
"How urgent?" Asked the guard.

The man lifted the amulet for him to see.

The guard's eyes widened when he saw it.  
"My apologies sir, please come this way!"

The guard escorted him to the princesses study and told him to wait.

Fifteen minutes passed before a silver haired woman entered the room.  
She was wearing a silk night dress accompanied by matching slippers.

"Good evening madam." The soaked man said with a respectful bow.

"Good evening to you as well." She said gracefully.

"I trust that father has sent you with an important message." 

"um, yes madam. However you may want to take a seat beforehand." 

She obliged and softly sat on a plush stool that was near her.

The man took a deep breath before speaking. "The King's carriage was attacked on its way to visit a Nobleman's home."

The Silver haired lady raised both of her hands to her mouth in shock as the man continued.

"We were passing through a gully in the Red Forest when someone riding a giant, black stallion came bolting from the woods."

The woman had an even more horrified face as he spoke those words.

"There was no warning, none of the soldiers riding along the side were able to act in time before the attackers steed smashed through the side of the cabin. Then th- they…."

The woman was now visibly shaking as she broke her perfect posture, she had her elbows on her knees as she griped the sides of her head.

"N-no…." She stammered in a small voice as tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm very sorry for your loss princess." 

"It-it can't be… I saw him just this morning before he departed, he smiled at me and said that he would be home by Monday next week…"

"The attacker fled into the woods after killing one of the kings friends that were traveling with him, all we have to go on is that black stallion and cape. Chances of finding them are little but we are prepared to use the full ability of our royal guard to track them down." The man said reassuringly.

However, the woman was beginning to cry as her silver hair cascaded in front of her face.

"How am I going to tell Makoto."

________________________  
Meanwhile in a manner far away.

Someone wearing a black hood stepped into a study furnished with leather and wood.

"I have eradicated the target sir."

A man sitting in a large chair on a fur rug by a fireplace smiled at his cup of wine before taking a drink.

"Marvelous."


	2. A New day

A page fluttered as it sat on the side of a building. It was being held up by a single tack as the sun shone down on it. It was a hot day in the middle of spring and fairly windy too.  
All it took to break if free was one strong gust that blew it into the street.  
The breeze carried it into the middle of the road and it gently floated to the ground.  
A horse carriage passed overtop of it causing it to fly up once more.  
It flew over the top of it and hit the drivers face. He swiped it off and threw it to his right. Only for it to smack itself onto the right cabin window facing inward.

A black gloved hand reached out and pulled it inside to get a closer look.  
All the page displayed was a large "WANTED, DEAD OR ALIVE." And a single picture of a white mask with decorative black surrounding the eyes.  
At the bottom read "PRIZE FOR CAPTURE. £50,000."

The man acknowledged it before folding it into his tan coat pocket.  
__________________

It had been three years since her father's death. Three years that his murdered was still running free too.

Makoto Niijima was very intelligent due to all of her private tutoring and lessons from her older sister and current queen, Sae Niijima.

Makoto looked up to Sae's leadership and always wanted to be just like her. Her dream was to one day be an adviser to her sister in the royal court to help with negotiations with other countries. Maybe even become a diplomat and sail to new lands, meet new people and discuss tricky trade deals.

She loved all of the reasoning and decision making of those jobs. However, she was a princess. One who exists to serve her people and marry for kingdom alliances.

She always liked the "serve her people" side of her status but being married off for alliances didn't sit well with her.  
Besides, her older sister would never treat her as a bargaining chip. Right?

"Of course not." She thought to herself as she walked down a long corridor. "Sae would never marry me to someone against my will." 

She made a turn into the palace library and began looking for something fun to read.  
She had begun to become tired of reading her law books and decided to take a break with a little fiction.

Her hand hovered over the romance section for a moment before moving to the mystery section. She picked a book at random and carried it away.

She sat at her favorite long table that ran linear to a tall window. Placing a strand of her short brown hair behind her ear, she began to scan the text with her deep crimson eyes.

She sat there for a good half hour or so before noticing the time and heading to her room.  
There was a charity ball tonight that she would have to prepare to make an appearance at. She had already decided on wearing a simple but elegant grey dress so as to not be flashy for such an event.

She climbed the flights of stairs until she reached the fifth floor. About halfway through the hall, she noticed that she had forgotten to return the book to the self and had accidentally taken it with her."That's ok." She thought. "I'll return it later." 

She opened her door to find that her seamstress was already waiting calmly by the mirror, selecting needles and threads to use.

"My apologies for being late, I was too engrossed while reading a book in the library." She said while placing the book on a table near the door.

"Thats ok Makoto, I will always wait for my friends!"

The seamstress happily bounced up from the stool that she was sitting on. She was wearing a long red dress with two giant,platinum blond pigtails covering her shoulders.  
She picked up a neatly folded grey dress and handed it to the princesses.

"Here! I already made a slight adjustment to the shoulders so that you will be able to move around more freely!"

Makoto gratefully took the dress.

"Thank you for doing that Ann, I was afraid that I may rip one of the seams if that kept up."

"No worries!" She said with a smile. "Now get changed already so that I can work my magic!"

Makoto went behind the changing screen and put the dress on before stepping onto the circular platform in front of the mirror.

_______________________________  
-Days before-

Akira Kurusu was at a stand still in his investigation. His sources led him to this city but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find anything. No records that he could find had what he was looking for dammit!

He had stated his investigation three months ago when he caught a lead of suspicious happenings around a manner in the countryside. He broke into it only to find that it had been completely abandoned. He wasn't able to find anything until he discovered an old copy of a moving permit that fell behind some shelves in the basement.

The next day he went into the nearby town to ask around about it. The info that he managed to dig up was that it belonged to a powerful man who had recently moved to the capital. He also dug up some rumors of there sometimes screams being heard in the middle of the night in the direction of the property.

It wasn't the strongest lead he had but the only one. So, he followed it.  
And that is what led to Akira Kurusu now working as a cargo loader for ships in the capital. He would never actually use his real name for jobs like these, so this time he decided to work under the alias 'Ren Amamiya'. It wasn't the best name but hey, it worked.  
He slaved at the docs so that he could gather information about important people in the city.  
After a few weeks of Intel gathering and fleeing the royal guard a couple times. He hit the wall. He broke into every,single,record house in the city looking for a man that he only had suspicions about.

He spent that night in his small apartment that he was renting. It was made mostly of wood and smelled like coffee beans from the grinding business that was below the flat.  
He sat at the small table in the room looking over his numerous maps for somewhere that  
had a chance of hiding records in it. But nothing, no avail. He sighed as he played with a loose end of his black, fluffy hair. Pondering about how to find his next lead, his next chance to find and expose the corrupt man that killed his mentor.


	3. Tea time

Later that evening, Akira was laying in bed, staring at the ceiling with storm grey eyes. Brainstorming about what his next move will be. Recalling old tips that his mentor gave him for such situations. He thought of his predicament over and over again and kept coming up with the same answer.

"I'm stuck in a rut" he mumbled to himself as he turned to face the window beside his bed.  
The sky was clear and the half moon in the sky cast its pale blue light across his covers.

Maybe he needed to think more outside the box for this. Alternative ways of discovering his target. He was thinking too small and needed to start thinking bigger.  
He began to recall bits and pieces of rumors and conversation that he heard the past couple of days at the docs.

"I Heard that the royal sisters are going to be the first to try out this exclusive new facial powder from across the seas!" 

No that wasn't important.

"Did you know that apparently if you look at a mirror at midnight on a rainy day you will be able to see your soulmate?"

Useless urban legends.

"I just got a part time job working at the royal palace as a storage clerk! I guess they need people to take stock of what they have for that upcoming ball."

Wait a second, the palace...

"YES!" He thought to himself as he shot up from bed excitedly. "That's it, that's where i can find more info"  
The palace was filled with important people and most likely held equally important information. If he could just find a record book with the names of some people in high power, he could start narrowing his suspects down.

He grabbed a map with an overview of the entire city from his plie on the floor and spread it over the writing desk in the corner.  
He plucked the slender quill from its inkwell and busied himself with making plans.

He didn't get any sleep that night.  
__________________________

-Present-

"Ouch!"

"Ah! Sorry princess!" Ann said as she quickly pulled away the needle from Makoto's arm.

Makoto gave a light chuckle before answering.  
"It's alright, i forgive you."  
Relief washed over her face.

"And I told you that you can just call me Makoto when we're alone."

"Ah,yes. My apologies." She stated before continuing her work.  
She had a dull and distant look in her eyes as she shortened the sleeve.

Makoto had known her long enough to know that, that look meant she was thinking about something serious.

"You seem uptight today Ann. Is anything the matter?"

"Oh no, nothing at all!" She said with a small wave.  
Ann turned back to her work before answering.

"It's just that I've been thinking about the future lately."  
Makoto was about to respond when Ann changed the subject.  
"Anyways, did you hear that Shiho got promoted!"

"No I haven't, what is her new position?"

"Oh, nothing. Just the house cleaning manager of the east wing!" 

"Really!"  
Makoto turned to Ann and took her free hand in both of hers.

"That is amazing news! I'm sure that she will be a wonderful manager!"

"I know right! She has worked hard for a position like that for so long!. I'm so glad that I get to see her achieve her goals!"

Ann snipped a piece of thread from the dress before stepping back to admire her labor.  
Makoto looked over herself in the mirror while turning to different angles.

"My, you've really outdone yourself this time Ann!"

The dress reached down to floor length and was made primarily of silk, hugging her torso before turning into the long skirt at waist level.  
It flowed elegantly around her as she moved.

The seamstress could barely contain her excitement as she saw her friend.

Makoto needed to thank her for doing this.  
She turned her attention away from her reflection.

"Ann, would you like to join me for some tea before you go back to your studio?"

The blond smiled, looking relieved before saying she'd be honored to. Besides, they haven't had a chance to have any lengthy conversations in quite some time.

Later, a tray of tea along with some pastries were delivered to the room.  
The two girls sat across from each other at a silver polished tea table on Makoto's balcony.

They chatted and laughed while overlooking the city.

"So, what kind of book are you reading?" Ann gestured to the table by the door.

Makoto set her cup down onto its silver lined saucer.  
"It's a mystery book about a gentleman thief whose ideals are good but operates on the wrong side of the law. It's an interesting concept that I've never heard before."

"That reminds me." Ann took a bite of a small strawberry pastry. "Have you heard of that thief who's been stealing things in the city?"

"Hm?" Makoto picked her cup up again.  
"No, I can't say that I have."

"People on the streets are saying that they're just some common jewel thief. But I've heard the royal guards talking about how they've been stealing documents from posts and record houses around the kingdom." 

She took a sip of her tea.  
"That is quite frightening."

"And what's even more scary is that the people who see them only see their shadow, and a glimpse of a white mask on their face!" 

"Is there anything else that you know about them?" Makoto asked, she was beginning to become interested.

"No, not really. " Ann replied.  
"All I've heard is some girls gossiping in the kitchen calling them a "phantom thief.""

Ann shuddered suddenly in her seat.  
"You don't think that they'll try to break into the palace? Right?"

"Don't be silly." Makoto said as she reassuringly placed her hand on Ann's arm.

"No one would be so stupid enough to try and break into the royal palace."


	4. Plans and suspicions

He's going to break into the royal palace.

Today was the day.  
He had his full infiltration plan set out in front of him.

All palace guards would be close to the front gates tonight to provide extra security for the ball.

While they were occupied with the guests, he would vault the back wall and climb through a window onto the second floor.  
Then, he would blend in with the shadows on the walls until he reached the queen's study. 

That's where some of the kingdom's deepest secrets were kept and he was determined to find another lead there.

All that was left to do now was to wait for night fall.  
_______

The two girls were just finishing their tea when they heard a knock at the door.

"I'll answer it." Makoto said as she sat up from her seat and walked to the source of the knocking. Ann got up and followed her.

She opened the door to find a palace messager on the other side.

He was a young man with short dark blue hair.

"G-good evening princess." He said with a bow.  
"The queen has requested you in her study."

"I will go right away, thank you for telling me."

He looked over her shoulder to see Ann behind her.

"Ah, Miss Takamaki. Perfect timing."  
He took out an envelope with a bronze wax seal from his back pocket.  
"I've been asked to deliver this to you."

He held out the letter as she tentatively took it from him. 

Makoto saw her body go ridged for a moment before she swiftly hid the envelope behind her back.

"Thank you for your time princess." The man bowed once more before walking away.

Makoto was just about to question Ann about it when she interrupted her again.

"It looks like we both have urgent matters to attend to." She quickly curtsied before lifting her head up. A slightly forced looking smile plastered her face.  
"Thank you so much for the wonderful tea, but I must be going."

Ann all but speed walked out of the room.

Something definitely wasn't right with her.  
However, that was a topic for later.  
Right now she needed to focus on meeting with her sister.

___________

Makoto took her book with her as she walked to the study. Thinking that she could return it to the library on her walk back.

She descended down three levels until she reached the second floor.  
She wondered what her sister could be calling her for at this time. The ball was set to start in about two hours so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary to discuss something concerning that.

Or maybe she was just over thinking this and Sae just wanted to converse about something to relax her nerves. However, the talks they used to have like that have been decreasing ever since father was killed.

Makoto sighed as she pushed open the large dark oak doors of her sister's study.  
It was a fairly large room that had many shelves for files and books, all neatly organized in rows.

"Good evening Makoto."   
The queen was a very elegant woman. She had beautiful silver hair that she always kept swept on top of her right shoulder.

She gestured to a black leather armchair that sat in front of her wooden desk that matched the doors as well as the rest of the room.  
"Please, take a seat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi,  
> This is quickly becoming my most popular story yet!  
> Thank you all for giving your kudos and comments.  
> They drive me to do even better than before!


	5. A way in

Makoto noticed that her sister was unusually content today. She had a cheerful smile on her face behind the two hands folded in front of it.

Makoto sat her book on the floor to the right of the chair before meeting her sister's matching crimson eyes. 

"How have you been? It's been a while since we've last met." 

"I've been well. I have gotten a lot of studying done since last time we conversed."

"I'm glad that you are keeping up with that. You've turned into quite the educated young woman." 

Makoto couldn't help but blush a little at her sister's kind words.  
"Thank you for your complaints, I'm flattered."

The queen knit her hands onto her lap and straightened her posture.  
"I've called you here today to give you some good news."

"What is it?"

"There are two very prestigious noble men that will be attending the charity event tonight, one of which I would like to give a position in my cabinet."

"And the other?"

"His son, I've heard that he's about your age as well."

Makoto's heart sped up a little. What could Sae be putting her up to?

"I was hoping that you would agree to spend some time with him at the ball so that the father will be more willing to talk to me."

That seemed like a reasonable plan. Play nice with the son to get in the fathers good graces.

"If this man is esteemed enough to earn your respect then of course I will help you!"

Sae sighed in relief.

"Thank you Makoto, I wasn't sure if you would accept."

"I'm always willing to do what's best for the kingdom."

"Thats nice to hear. You're always so reliable, I couldn't have asked for a better sister."

Makoto lightly giggled into her hand.  
"The same to you."

"Is there any other reason for your fairness of mood today?"

"Yes, there is actually. The new captain of the royal guard has been very successful lately. He's cut costs by almost twenty percent and all of our soldiers seem to greatly respect him."

"Didn't you promote him to that position two months ago? It's very impressive that he did that in such a short amount of time!"

Makoto pondered for a moment.

"What was his name again? It was Kamoshida correct?"

"Yes it is. He's honorable and gets things done. He's a man that I'd trust with my life."

Sae cleared her throat and sat back into her chair.

"Anyways, I wanted to talk more about those nobles. You see they're-"

A knock at the door interrupted her.

"Come in."

It was the blue haired messenger again.

"Pardon my sudden intrusion, your highnesses."

He bowed deeply.

"Both of your makeup artists have requested your presence."

Sae folded her hands in front of her face once more.

"Is that all?"

"Yes my queen."

"Then you may take your leave."

She waved her hand in a shooing motion.

"Of course my queen."

The young man straightened up and briskly walked out the room.

"I'm sorry but it looks like we both have to cut this meeting short."

"It'll be okay. We might be able to talk later tonight at the ball. "

______________

-One hour and thirty minutes later-

Things were going just as planned so far.

He snuck around buildings that were close to his entry point. Keeping a bag full of tools and clothes close to his side.  
It was surprisingly easy to get back here. All that was in the way was a small guard patrol, It was child's play to evade them. He smirked to himself.  
Who knew that breaking into somewhere that prided itself on its "high security" was so easy?

He found an alleyway that was dark enough to not be noticeable to any passers-by.  
He sat his gear bag on the dirt ground and unlocked the brass buckle that was keeping it secure. 

He pulled the large shirt that he was wearing over his head to reveal a sleeveless gray shirt underneath. Along with a knife holstered on his left leg.  
He reached inside his bag and pulled out a long, three tailed black leather coat and threw it over his shoulders. He dug inside one of the pockets and produced two deep red gloves as well as a small grappling hook that he attached to his right wrist.

And now for le piece de résistance. From the inner chest pocket he gingerly took out his mask.  
It was plain and simple yet slightly flamboyant in its own way. Kinda like himself. It had a white base with black points that framed the eyes.  
He knew that an eye-catching color like white on black was a risky move, but couldn't help as thinking of it as his personal trademark.  
He placed the mask over his face before stuffing his bag behind a cluster of nearby barrels and quietly leaving for the back wall.

Once there, he jumped on top of it and looked both ways for any coming patrols. Seeing none, he dropped to the ground and moved to look for a window he could shoot his grappling hook into.

He slunk along the inside of the wall, trying to find an opening. He was nearing what looked like a small stable when he overheard a man raising his voice at someone.

"You're lucky that I promoted you to the kitchen stables Sakamoto, If I wasn't so gracious then I would have thrown you out of this place like the trash that you are."

That was odd, maybe he should go see what's going on.

"You could leave anytime you want you know."

He pressed himself against a wooden wall as he peered around it to look at the scene.

There was a tall, strong man standing in a doorway maniacally grinning down at a young blonde man that looked about his age.

"Oh wait… you can't, can you. Because you have to stay here to protect her don't you? Maybe if you didn't lash out at me like that then she might have not left you."

He sickeningly laughed to himself.

"Oh, who am I kidding. She would have left a loser like you on her own time anyway."

Akira couldn't believe what he was seeing, Who the hell did this guy think he was? Talking so shamefully to a guy like that.

"Heh, well anyway have fun cleaning up after these nag's. If you're lucky then one might kick your ugly mug in!"

This guy even had the gall to throw a bucket at the poor guy. It landed upsidedown with a hallow "thunk" on his head.

"Here, wear this on your head so that you don't get crapped on. Or wanna never show your face again. Both ways are fine by me."

Then this asshole just turned around and walked inside like nothing happened.

Akira felt sorry for that guy. Sitting there, on the ground, bucket on his head and probably feeling sorry for himself too.

But, to his surprise. The guy got up. He plucked the bucket off his head and looked like he was about to smash it into a million pieces on the cobble ground out of rage.  
But he caught himself just as he was about to let go. He looked around and let his arm go limp and let the bucket swing by his side. Akira thought that the guy was going to go crazy and scream in frustration. But instead, he regained his composure and walked with his head up to the nearest grooming kit.

Wait a second. Did he not smash it in fear of spooking the horses or to not draw any attention? Either way, this guy had his respect. Not many people would stay confident after an event like that.

If he hadn't been on a mission, he would have walked over and congratulated him.  
But he had to carry on. Time was of the essence and he needed a way onto the second floor.

After more sneaking, he eventually found a window that looked slightly ajar.  
He pressed a button in his glove that sprung his grappling hook into his hand.  
He took aim and fired it at the opening. Excellent, the hook landed and now he had a way in.  
He tugged at the line a few times to make sure it was secure before ascending up to the window.

He peeked his head over the ledge before slowly opening it.

With one maneuver he was in.  
Perfect.  
He heard soft footsteps in the distance.  
Shit.  
___

Makoto was strolling down the dimly lit corridor en-route to the ballroom.

She was thinking about the noble men that Sae had told her about. She had got cut off when she was just about to tell her more about them.

Well, she was about to find out in a moment.

She suddenly stopped as a chill ran down her spine.  
Either someone was watching her or…  
Ah, it was just the night breeze coming through an open window.  
"That's strange." She thought.  
"All these are supposed to be closed."

Well, she should probably close it, don't want any birds to get in.  
She walked over to it and grabbed the handle.  
She could see the moonlight that danced across the sea from here. It was a chilly spring night so she allowed herself one breath of cool ocean air. Maybe this night will bring oppertunities for her and the kingdom. The breeze picked up again, causing cool air to rush past her. She shivered before quietly closing it and resuming her walk.  
___________________

He let out a breath of pent up air just as that lady was out of sight.  
He needed to be more careful next time before jumping through window stills.

But he had to admit. Seeing her in that moonlight was a sight to behold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, hi guys.  
> I know that its been like 2 weeks but a combination of writers block and other work kept me busy.
> 
> So to make it up to all of you, I have a little challenge.  
> You see, ive yet to come up with a name for the kingdom that this story is staged in so I am asking you, the readers for help! Post your suggestions in the comments and I'll pick a winner by the time that the next chapter comes out.
> 
> See ya guys next time!


	6. My name

When she arrived, Her sister was already facing a massive pair of closed,red and gold accented doors.

She wore a long silver gray dress with intricate white embroidery down the sides.  
Something more fancy than Makoto's dress that only had two long frills tucked into the front of it. But still modest nonetheless.

"You still remember our plan don't you?"  
Sae said as Makoto moved to stand by her side.

"Of course, I never forgot."

"Good, I will point them out to you after I give the welcoming speech."

Sae lightly tapped on the large doors, signaling to the announcer on the other side that they were ready.

Makoto heard a man clear his throat before addressing the room in a booming voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to present queen Sae and princess Makoto Niijima."

Two guards opened the doors and the royals stepped out onto a landing that split off into two staircases on either side.

The room erupted into an applause that echoed off the black marble floors and vaulted ceilings.

Sae stood at the railing and waved everyone to quiet down.

"I would like to cordially thank everyone for coming to support our kingdom tonight. You all have my deepest gratitude for your amicable contributions. All proceeds from your donations shall be given to the Children of Menava Hospital fund."

She paused for a moment while the crowd gave another round of applause.

"A great man once told me that the future of our kingdom will fall to our children. I want to bestow their generation with the best possible chances of making our kingdom even brighter than it is today.  
So please, let the ball begin!"

On her endnote, the band below began playing a soft song on violins as the attendants conversed and mingled.

Makoto took a step forward to stand side by side with her sister.

"I've spotted them, they're near the back of the ballroom."

Makoto replied "Understood, I will accompany you to meet them."

They descended down the right side of the staircase and to the back wall.  
Making light conversations with one another along the way so as to not be stopped for any unwanted conversations.

They approached a table clustered with noble elites. A bald man with rectangle spectacles noticed them and turned away from the group he was talking with to face the pair.

"Queen Niijima, it's been far too long!"  
The man had on a jolly face and overall likable attitude.  
Sae offered out her hand and he leaned down to kiss it like all good gentlemen do.

"How have you been fairing since the last time we met?"

"I've been fairing well Sir Shido."

"Oh no please, Masayoshi is fine." He waved off with a chuckle.

The man cleared his throat before placing a hand onto the shoulder of a young man standing beside him.

"Queen Niijima, I'd like to introduce you to my son."

The first thing that Makoto noticed about him was how attractive he was. He had long light coffee colored hair that had been gathered into a small ponytail at the back and deep brown eyes that looked almost red like hers.

The young man bowed to them with one hand on his chest and the other across his back on the light brown suit he was wearing.

"It is an honor to meet your majestys, my name is Goro Akechi Shido."  
He straightened back up.

"But please, Goro is fine, no honorifics needed." He smiled 

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well."  
Sae curtsied and Makoto followed.

"Now i believe it's our turn for introductions.  
As I'm sure you gentlemen already know, this is my younger sister."

Makoto curtsied again to them again.

"Hello, my name is Makoto. I hope that we can become good friends."

The gentleman named Goro smiled at her.  
"As do i."

Makoto had to will herself to not blush at that.

"Excuse me you two." Sae interrupted.  
"If it's alright with you, could you leave us here to talk? I know it may be asking a lot, but we have been meaning to for quite awhile."

"Of course I can." Makoto said.

Sae turned to Goro.  
"If it wouldn't be a bother, would you accompany her?"

"Only if it's alright with you princess."

She had to will herself to not blush again.

"Yes, it is alright with me."

They both turned away from the adults to go talk amongst themselves.

"Oh, Makoto." Sae said before they left.  
She turned back to face her sister.

"Don't forget to choose a partner for the opening dance!"

Sae winked at her before turning away.

Sae winked at her…  
Makoto had known that this was the plan all along, but dancing?

"Is something wrong, your highness?"

"No, it's nothing. The queen just had something to tell me."

__________________

They both found an unoccupied table by a row of large windows looking out into the palace gardens.

"I have to say, this place is much more grand than I imagined it to be." Said Goro, looking out across the ball room.

"I'm presuming that this is your first time here then?" Makoto stated from the other side of the table.

He chuckled  
"You'd be correct, this is the first time I've been since father and I moved here."

The mention of his father made her think about a moment earlier.  
"Speaking of your family, why did you give your middle name when being introduced? Most only tell their first and last."

"Well you see," He paused and cast his gaze down a bit, as if remembering something melancholy.  
"Akechi was my mothers last name. After her passing,I changed my middle name to always keep a part of her memory on me."

Makoto looked down slightly as well.  
"My condolences."

"She died a long time ago, but thank you nonetheless princess."

Maoto looked back up at the man.  
"You're welcome.  
Her eyes met his once more as she looked across the table.  
She should probably give him another compliment.

"I think that name is very lovely, it has a sort of mysterious element to it."

"You may call me by it if its easier than saying Goro."

"I think I will, Mr Akechi."

Makoto noticed that the current song that the band was playing had begun to slow. Akechi noticed too.  
It was time for the first dance.

"Excuse me princess, it may be far above me." He offered her his hand. "But may I please have this dance."

She gingerly took his outstretched hand.

"You may."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its for the plot i swear!!
> 
> Also, Thank you everyone who helped suggest names to me.  
> While I ended up using none of the original suggestions, you still inspired me of ways to come up with my own.  
> The name for our kingdom shall be Menava.  
> Menava is a word inspired by the app used to transport the theives to the metaverse in the original game. The MetaNav. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading so far!


End file.
